Bird Description

Fairly common in more s. coastal areas. Tends to congregate with ROTE and other larger terns, rather than smaller cousins. ID: Very pale upperparts, only ROTE paler. Two-tone black-and-white all year with the exception of yellow bill tip (not juv). Very slim, particularly in flight, with long, angled wings. Noisy, sounding like a weak high-pitched ROTE, 'kareek.' Ad br: crested black cap. Nonbr: reduced cap. Primaries wear darker. 1st-s: as nonbr. Juv: black subterminal markings to upperparts. Flecked dark cap. Bill usually with yellow or orange, becoming black in a few weeks. Yellow tip by spring. Age by dark in tertials through winter. Cayenne Tern, a South American ssp, has been recorded a few times. Bill color is variable from yellow-orange to almost black.